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RIA Edge Podcast: Perigon’s Arthur Ambarik on the Journey to Build a $6B RIARIA Edge Podcast: Perigon’s Arthur Ambarik on the Journey to Build a $6B RIA

Arthur Ambarik shares the story of Perigon’s evolution from a small firm with under $150 million in assets under management to its current status of about $6 billion in AUM.

Mark Bruno, Managing Director, Wealth Management

August 8, 2023

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This episode of the RIA Edge podcast features a conversation between Mark Bruno, managing director of the wealth management group at Informa, and Arthur Ambarik, CEO of Perigon Wealth Management. The discussion delves into Perigon’’s unique position and model within the RIA channel, as well as the primary contributors to its impressive growth trajectory. Arthur shares the story of Perigon’s evolution from a small firm with under $150 million in assets under management to its current status of around $6 billion in AUM.

Specifically, Mark and Arthur discuss:

  • Perigon’s distinct business model, emphasizing a blend of autonomy and collaboration.

  • How Perigon bridged the gap between traditional consolidator and enterprise firm models, fostering an environment where advisors could bring diverse skills to the table and create a better client experience.

  • Key industry trends, including mergers and acquisitions activity and the battle for talent. 

  • The challenges of growth, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the importance of building a strong team with specialized roles like COO, CCO and CTO to manage the firm effectively.

Mark and Arthur also discuss the growth journey through acquisitions, strategic partnerships and attracting like-minded professionals. He acknowledges the competitive landscape in the RIA industry and offers insights for firms aspiring to grow and professionalize their operations. The conversation provides valuable lessons on managing human capital, adapting to unique challenges and building a successful RIA firm amid evolving industry dynamics.

Resources:

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About Our Guest:

Arthur Ambarik, CFP is Chief Executive Officer of Perigon Wealth Management. Since joining Perigon in 2013, the firm’s assets under management have grown to more than $4.8 billion from less than $150 million. He has overseen several recent acquisitions including PM Wealth Management, Nauset Wealth Management and Stakeholders Capital.

Arthur brings more than 20 years of years of experience to his role with Perigon including advisory and operational positions he held previously with Ameriprise and LPL. He has been named to the Forbes Best in State Wealth Advisors for California in 2021 and 2022 and is a member of the Financial Advisor IQ Leadership Council. Perigon’s accolades include being named to the Financial Times Top 300 RIA 2020, RIA Channel Top 50 Wealth Managers by Growth 2022, Forbes Top 100 RIA 2022 and USA Today Best Financial Advisory Firm 2023 lists.

Arthur holds a B.A. in Economics from Williams College.

 

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About the Author

Mark Bruno

Managing Director, Wealth Management, Informa Connect

Mark Bruno is Managing Director, Wealth Management at Informa Connect. In his role, Mr. Bruno leads the company’s Wealth Management media and event properties, which currently consists of WealthManagement.com, Inside ETFs and Inside WealthStack. He is also charged with driving several innovative new community and advisor-based initiatives, including the launch of the new RIA Edge podcast, event and webcast series.

In addition, Mr. Bruno is overseeing strategic partnerships and acquisitions to accelerate Informa’s growth within the financial advisor and wealth management communities. Mr. Bruno brings over 20 years of experience in the wealth management and asset management industries to Informa, including prominent leadership roles in industry media, research, and consulting organizations.

Before joining Informa Connect, Mr. Bruno was a Managing Director at ECHELON Partners, where he provided investment banking, consulting and valuation services to wealth managers. Mr. Bruno specialized in helping RIAs with a range of strategic initiatives, and his areas of expertise include organizational design and assessments, compensation consulting and succession and continuity solutions.

Prior to joining ECHELON, Mr. Bruno was the Managing Director and Associate Publisher at InvestmentNews, where he was responsible for overseeing a wide range of businesses, including IN’s research, content strategy, digital, custom publishing and sales groups. Mr. Bruno was with InvestmentNews for 12 years and helped establish the company as the leading B2B media brand in the wealth management industry. He played an integral role in the sale of InvestmentNews from Crain Communication to Bonhill Plc in 2018.

Mr. Bruno is an award-winning journalist, author and researcher who has written and edited for a number of financial publications over the past two decades, including InvestmentNews, Financial Week, Pensions & Investments and U.S. Banker. Mr. Bruno has also been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Chicago Tribune for his expertise in wealth and investment management. Mr. Bruno has received numerous accolades for his writing and reporting, including the American Business Media's prestigious Jesse H. Neal Award, and for his breaking news coverage and analysis of the financial services industry by The Society of American Business Editors and Writers. Mr. Bruno is the author of Save Now or Die Trying: Achieving Long-Term Wealth In Your 20s and 30s, one of the top-selling retirement planning books of 2007.